Jan 29, 2014

TPDF spokesman Erick Komba confirms foreign military ships patrol the Indian Ocean and other international water bodies as part of a global campaign against piracy, drug trafficking and terrorism

A Canadian military
ship has seized more than 280kg of heroin with an estimated street
value of $490 million (Sh784 billion) aboard a vessel off the coast of
Tanzania.

The ship, MCS Toronto, intercepted the large shipment of heroin some 40 nautical miles off the coast of Tanzania during a routine patrol.

The seizure indicates how drug lords exploit all possible avenues to
ferry their dirty merchandise to escape law enforcers. “Her Majesty’s
Canadian Ship Toronto discovered 265 bags of heroin weighing more than
280kg aboard a vessel while patrolling the Indian Ocean as part of
Operation ARTEMIS, a maritime security and counter-terrorism effort in the Middle East,” foreign news agencies reported yesterday.

The narcotics were documented and disposed of, according to the Department of National Defence.

No details of the ship that was caught ferrying the drugs were provided.

Officials from both the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces
and the Anti-Drugs Police Unit said they were not aware of the
operation. The TPDF spokesman, Major Erick Komba, said military ships
from various countries have been patrolling the Indian Ocean and other
international water bodies as part of a global campaign against piracy,
drug trafficking and terrorism.

“We are not aware of the particular operation. What I know is that
Tanzania has signed agreements to allow such kind of patrols to combat
crime in the ocean,” Major Komba noted.

The head of the Anti-Narcotics Unit Geofrey Nzowa also said he was not aware of the operation.

“I am aware that Canadian military ships have seized drugs off the East
African coast before. Last year they impounded about 1,000kg drugs,” Mr
Nzowa noted.

In fact, Friday’s seizure was not the first by a Canadian military ship,
it has been noted. A Canadian Forces communiqué says a total of 538kg
of drugs were seized off the Kenyan cost late last year. It was the
largest heroin haul in the history of naval operations involving
multiple allied nations, according to a Canadian Forces statement
released at the time of the seizure last year.

January, 2014 -- INDIAN OCEAN - Combined
Maritime Forces (CMF) ship Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Toronto
has seized approximately 280kg of high-grade heroin off the coast of
Tanzania, close to Zanzibar Island.

The illicit narcotics were seized after HMCS Toronto intercepted and
boarded a suspect dhow. An extensive search of the vessel revealed
280.7kg of heroin hidden onboard. The narcotics were catalogued before
samples were taken for further analysis and the remainder destroyed.

The seizure happened after CMF air assets, including a US Navy P3C 'Orion' maritime patrol aircraft and Her Majesty's

Australian Ship (HMAS) Melbourne's embarked
'Seahawk' helicopter, observed the suspect dhow in the north Indian
Ocean. They relayed the dhow's location to HMCS Toronto which was able
to board and investigate the vessel as it neared the Tanzanian coast.

Commander Matthew Bowen, Royal Canadian Navy, Commanding Officer, HMCS
Toronto said: "It is the collaboration with our multi-national partners
that has enabled us to achieve a positive outcome in seizing these
illegal narcotics. Our combined efforts serve to disrupt the funding of
terrorist organisations, which is the heart of our mission with CTF
150."

Commodore Daryl Bates, Royal Australian Navy, Commander CTF 150 said: "I
congratulate the Royal Canadian Navy, and the men and women of HMCS
Toronto in particular, for another job well done."

During her year-long deployment with CMF, HMCS Toronto has seized 2,327
kg of heroin from smuggling dhows. In December 2013, the ship seized
539kg of heroin from a single dhow - the largest heroin interdiction
ever by a CMF unit.

This latest heroin seizure follows two previous interdictions by HMCS
Toronto in the same region: On 15 April last year, Toronto's boarding
team discovered almost 500kgs of heroin hidden aboard a dhow off
Zanzibar Island. On 9 May, 317kgs of heroin were taken from another
smuggling dhow situated118 miles off the Tanzanian coast.

Cdre Bates added: "Through hard work and persistence, Toronto has
adversely affected the operations of those who wish to use the maritime
environment for illicit activities. We know that such activity funds
terrorism and violent extremism so we are pleased this cargo was
intercepted."

HMCS Toronto is currently deployed within Combined Task Force (CTF)150,
one of three task forces operating under CMF. CTF 150 is currently led
by an Australian command team based at the CMF headquarters in Bahrain.
Its mission is to promote maritime security across over 2.5 million
square miles, covering the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Gulf
of Oman.